Cinderella Sakura
by XoXpuppybluesxOx
Summary: Sakura, 13 years old, is sick of her new step mom, but it gets worse when her dad dies. She longs for anything to tear her away from this new life. Maybe even...love? SxS Might be deleted, depends on the poll on my profile.
1. Family Issues

**Cinderella Sakura**

Disclaimer: I don't own Cardcaptor Sakura. All the characters from Cardcaptor Sakura that I used belong to the awesome mangaka group CLAMP. I do own the plot and any characters that I've added though. :)

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**_Summary_:** Sakura, 13 years old, is sick of her new step mom, but it gets worse when her dad, Fujitaka, dies. She longs for anything to tear her away from this new life. Maybe even...love?

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"_Sakura!"_

"Hoe??"

Sakura woke up to find her very displeased stepmother, Koyumi, glaring at her, broom in hand. Koyumi thrust the broom at her and shouted, "What are you standing around for? Hurry up and sweep the house! And when you're done, the mop-"

Sakura yawned and rubbed her big, emerald eyes. "-is in the closet underneath the stairs, and the bucket is under the kitchen sink," she completed.

Her stepmother's violently purple eyes snapped. "Don't you dare use that tone of voice with me again, do you hear me? Your dead father may have treated you with respect, but I, on the other hand, will not tolerate such rude behavior!"

Sakura stared at her, shocked. _Rude? I already know what she's going to say. Is that so wrong?_

Koyumi's eyes glittered. "Since you obviously think that I have not given you enough to do, you will take over Sayu's work as well." Satisfied with her punishment, Koyumi strode away, leaving Sakura alone in her bedroom, dumbstruck. Then her stepsister, Sayu, stuck her head in.

"Thanks for doing my chores for me, Sakura. Well, I'd absolutely _love_ to stay and chat, but you've got work to do, and I've got a date with Takuto-kun, so later!"

Sakura stuck her tongue out at her older stepsister. "I'd just _hate_ to put off your date with Kobayashi-kun any longer." she said sarcastically, then added,"or the ones with Junpei-kun, Mashitori-san, Issei-kun…" Sakura paused, relishing the horrified look on Sayu's face at the unexpected display of knowledge Sakura possessed of her various boyfriends. "Does dear Takuto-kun know you're cheating on him, by any chance?"

Sayu started. "For your information, no. And I'd like it to stay that way. As a matter of fact, unless you want to go around with the nickname Flatface for the rest of your life, keep your mouth shut. Understand?"

Sakura smiled. "As you wish." _It'll get out soon enough anyway._

Clearly unnerved by Sakura's unusual obedience, Sayu staggered out, then ran for the front door, slamming the door behind her. Sakura smiled. _Good._

Another head poked into the bedroom. Unlike the first two pairs of eyes that had pierced Sakura with hatred, these purple eyes were filled with extreme concern for Sakura.

"Tomoyo-chan." Sakura heaved a sigh of relief as she swung out of bed and began to pull off her pajamas.

"You shouldn't have provoked Mom and Sayu like that. They'll just make your life worse."

"I only got a handful of extra chores. What's the big deal?" asked Sakura as she pulled on a worn pink dress, followed by a white apron. No need to wear her good clothes, which would only get dirty from the grime and sweat that came from the work she was about to do. It so happened that Sayu's "chores", which Sayu had never done before, were the most disgusting jobs anyone could possibly imagine. Sakura thought this title rather fit, since Sayu was no angel.

"You _know_ what I mean, Sakura-chan! _And _you _know_ that Sayu's so called chores are given to you every day! It's just an excuse for you to have extra work!"

"When you were talking about provoking stepmother and Sayu, were you talking about letting out about Sayu dating, like what, half of the entire male population? You should have seen her face when I started listing all her boyfriends-" Sakura was shaking with laughter at the memory.

"I did. And while that _was_ very funny, that isn't the point I was trying to make-"

"Besides, what's the worst she can do? No guy will be on her side when they hear about what a slut she is, and her gang of friends is nothing more than a bunch of prissy girls who won't even throw a ball if it means their pretty little nails will break, while I can hold off my own with the boys in just about every sport imaginable! What chance does Sayu have of hurting me-?"

"Listen to me, Sakura-chan!"

Sakura was shocked at the anger in Tomoyo's voice, and even more so when she saw the tears glimmering in her eyes. She hadn't meant to provoke her…

"I-I'm really sorry, Tomoyo-chan."

"That's alright, Sakura-chan. But I'm really worried about you…"

"Worried?"

"It's just that…how do I put this…I think Mom and Sayu are provoking you deliberately. They're jealous of you, I guess, since you get along so well with everyone, so they're hoping to make you into someone like them…"

"WHAT?!"

"I-no offense, but, you're, well, seeming to enjoy seeing others in discomfort, and I don't _want_ you to become that kind of person!" Tomoyo blurted, her voice steadily rising.

Sakura was quiet for several minutes. Then:

"Tomoyo-chan, I really appreciate your concern. But-"

"But _what_?" wailed Tomoyo, before she caught herself and mouthed, "Sorry."

Sakura smiled. "It's okay," she assured Tomoyo, then continued, "I don't enjoy seeing others in pain or discomfort, though. It really bugs me, and making them even more uncomfortable is too much for me to handle. With" she added as Tomoyo opened her mouth to object, "the exception of stepmother-well, your mom, my step mom- and Sayu. Satisfied?"

Tomoyo grinned. "More than that, Sakura. You have no idea how much that relieves me."

At that moment, a yell sounded throughout the house and everywhere within ten miles.

"_**SAKURA! GET YOUR BUTT DOWN HERE! THE FLOOR WON'T CLEAN ITSELF, YOU KNOW!!**__"_

Sakura and Tomoyo looked at each other, then collapsed to the ground, giggling. "Well," said Sakura, still heaving and clutching her stomach, "guess I'd better head downstairs now."

"Have fun with the devil!" Tomoyo sang, which caused Sakura's smile to fade, and Tomoyo's to grow even wider.

_**"SAKURA! DOWN! NOW!"**_

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Sorry that Syaoran isn't in this chapter, but I promise that I'll put him in the next chapter! Please review!


	2. Past problems

**Cinderella Sakura**

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**Disclaimer:** I don't own Cardcaptor Sakura. All the characters from Cardcaptor Sakura that I used belong to the awesome mangaka group CLAMP. I do own the plot and any characters that I've added though. : )

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_**Yes!! **_It's the weekend!! And since some of you might be wondering what part Syaoran plays in this story, look no further. I'm starting this chapter with him!

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Syaoran sighed as he kicked a pebble, lost in a torrent of memories.

_"I wanna see papa!" five year old Syaoran pouted as his mother scooped him up, apologizing to the guards that flanked the fifteen-foot high double doors. Syaoran frowned, upset that his mother paid no attention whatsoever to him, and repeated, this time more forcefully:_

_"I wanna see papa!"_

_"Hush, Syaoran. I am terribly sorry," she added to the guard. "Syaoran must be such a bother, to keep coming here and trying to interrupt the meeting…"_

_"Not a problem at all, Your Highness. However, you _should _keep an eye on him, what with him being a prince and all-"_

_"What kinda meeting is papa in?" Syaoran inquired, determined to at least know the reason for his father's absence during the day, when Syaoran wanted to play with him. His mother was alright, but she was always trying to get him to learn how to read, or to teach him manners or some other princely thing. His father always did something interesting, though, like letting the dogs out of their kennels and chasing them around the palace grounds all day with him._

_"He's meeting with other kings from different kingdoms to discuss potential future wives for you. Though I do think that it's a bit too early to begin discussing your wedding…"_

_"Papa's talking about _weddings_? Yuck." Syaoran made a face for emphasis, making his mother and the guards laugh._

_"Well, we must be off. Do tell my husband that Syaoran wants to play with him, won't you? I fear that one day Syaoran will attempt to climb through the window and break every bone in his body…"_

_"The window? I didn't think of that," Syaoran thought._

_ "…he's going to hurt himself one day," Syaoran's mother finished. She glided towards the huge corridor, Syaoran following closely._

_"When we get to your room, Syaoran, we will start reading that storybook your aunt sent for your birthday. I'm surprised you haven't read it yet…"_

_"What?" Syaoran yelped._

* * *

A yell jerked Syaoran out of his stupor.

"Syaoran-kun! Chiharu-chan! Eriol-kun! Yamazaki-kun! Naoko-chan! Rika-chan!"

Syaoran turned a bright red as he saw his long-time crush, Kinomoto Sakura, running towards them and waving cheerfully. Behind her, he saw her stepsister and best friend, Tomoyo, come to a stop, panting for breath. Tomoyo was not as athletic as Sakura, spending much of her time designing and making clothes for Sakura, a hobby that none of them seemed to understand.

"Oh! I'm so sorry, Tomoyo-chan! Are you alright?"

Tomoyo managed to smile, though she was still breathing pretty heavily. "I'm alright."

"Hey! Syaoran-kun!"

Syaoran gave a jolt and reluctantly tore his eyes away from Sakura. He then saw that the hand that had been waving in front of his face belonged to Chiharu.

"Geez, what's wrong with you?" In a whisper Chiharu added, "Everyone knows how much you like Sakura-chan- except Sakura-chan herself, of course, but that's still no reason to ogle her!"

Syaoran grew, if possible, even redder. Briefly he wondered if one could die from too much blood to the brain, and desperately hoped so if Sakura had happened to overhear. That didn't seem to be the case, for Sakura skipped over, cheerful as you please, with no sign of having overheard Chiharu.

Sakura excitedly ran over to her friends, though she was careful to keep a check on herself for two main reasons- to avoid running over her friends, and because Tomoyo was not as much of an athlete as she was. Even so, she still outran her stepsister, and hurried back to Tomoyo's heaving form, exclaiming:

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Tomoyo-chan! Are you alright?"

"I'm alright, Sakura-chan" Tomoyo managed a smile, though Sakura could see the strain it was putting on her dear friend.

"No, you're not!" wailed Sakura. "I'm so, so sorry! It's my fault for running too fast!"

Tomoyo seemed slightly exasperated. "Sakura-chan, you're carrying this too far. I'm only a bit out of breath."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." For emphasis, Tomoyo straightened up, and Sakura felt relieved.

"But this time, _please_ don't run!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Syaoran had resumed watching Sakura, ignoring Chiharu's repeated whisper:

"Remember, _don't_ ogle Sakura-chan!"

When Sakura and Tomoyo finally arrived, Sakura frowned in concern as she looked at Syaoran.

"Syaoran-kun, are you alright? You seem to have a fever." Leaning in, Sakura placed a hand on Syaoran's burning forehead, causing him to feel slightly dizzy, and his heart to skip several beats. _Too…close!!_

"Uwaaahh!" Syaoran sprang away from Sakura, windmilling his arms. Now Sakura was puzzled.

"Hoe?"

At that moment, Naoko stepped in, brandishing the paper that had been clutched in her hand when Sakura and Tomoyo arrived.

"Tada! Look at this, guys!"

It was a flyer, showing a picture of the prince, Li Syaoran. Looking around, Sakura noticed that similar flyers were in the hand of almost every female passing by, and gigantic posters covered every available surface.

Rika read the heading on the flyer. "_There will be a ball on the 22__nd__ of November, in which everyone is encouraged to attend. Any girls between the ages of twelve and fifteen will become a candidate for Prince Syaoran's future wife. The ball will last from 8:00 pm to 12:00 am._ Interesting."

"But it's kinda funny," Yamazaki said. "Doesn't royalty usually marry royalty? They could have set an engagement up with a princess from one of the neighboring countries…"

"Haven't you heard the rumors?" Tomoyo enquired. "Apparently Syaoran-sama- well, the prince, not our Syaoran- has turned down any marriage prospects that his parents propose. And some come from very influential families- it would have profited the kingdom immensely."

"Maybe they weren't the right kind of girl he was hoping for," Eriol put in. "After all, aren't most princesses supposed to be conceited girls who think they're completely hideous if they find so much as a split end?"

"I think that's stereotyping, Eriol-kun…" Naoko said.

"Hey, Syaoran, doesn't the prince seem to look a lot like you?"

The argument that had been heating up between Eriol and Tomoyo faded as everyone turned to stare at Sakura, then turn to the flyer that she had taken from Naoko.

"You're right, Sakura-chan!"

"How come I never noticed that? They're like carbon copies!"

"What do you think, Syaoran-kun? Syaoran-kun?"

Syaoran's blood seemed to run cold at the question Sakura had asked. When she had spoken up again, a torrent of mixed feelings exploded inside of him, and he shouted, "NO! WE DON'T LOOK ALIKE AT _ALL_! GOT THAT?!"

Sakura stammered, "I-I'm sorry, Syaoran-kun…"

"You better be." On that note, Syaoran swiftly turned on her and began to head for home.

On the way, Syaoran silently scolded himself. _Why did I yell at her like that? It's not her fault for not knowing about it. No_ _one knows about it. Except for me and him, of course…_

_Why did I even do it? I know that at five, you couldn't expect me to be a genius, but you'd still have to be insane to do what I did…_

_It's all my fault…_

* * *

At that moment, in the Li castle…

* * *

"Syaoran-sama…"

"WHAT?" demanded the prince. "And I believe I told the palace staff to call me Ryuu! Which includes you, correct?"

"Oh, all right, Syao-er-Ryuu-sama. Anyway, your father has just returned from his meeting, and gave me this message to give to you-"

"What, another prissy I'm-Little-Miss-Perfect? Do you even _know_ what Maki Shiratomi tried to do to me the other day-?"

"Your fiancée has not been decided yet, Ryuu-sama! And since you do not seem to care for an engagement with a princess, we have set up a ball in two weeks' time so that you may choose from a variety of _commoners_, since you do not seem to have a taste for royalty."

"Isn't this straying a bit from tradition?"

"Your parents are worried, Ryuu-sama. Right now they want nothing more than to ensure that the royal blood will live on-"

"Hey, do you hear me complaining? Personally, I think it's a great idea."

"But you must- what?" The prince's tutor seemed taken aback at his student's sudden obedience. "N-never mind. I-I shall inform your parents of your acceptance of their compromise…"

Ryuu sighed as the door slammed. _Finally._ He then turned his thoughts to the ball.

_Maybe-maybe even _she_ will come. I wonder if she remembers me. She might not, though… it's been eight years…_

Ryuu composed an image in his mind. The person's head was cloaked in auburn, windswept hair, and her great emerald orbs seemed to be laughing at him. He sighed in contentment. The face was that of a five-year-old's, but the person was now thirteen, and Ryuu couldn't wait to see how she had changed. _Maybe being a prince isn't so bad if I will be able to have her…_

Ryuu smiled for the first time in weeks._ Wait for me…Sakura._

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Sorry if there are some mistakes. I really rushed this one, so please point them out for me, and I'll fix them.

Did you like it? I'll get the next chapter out as soon as I can. Please review!


	3. Getting revenge

**Cinderella Sakura**

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**Disclaimer:** Nothing but the plot and a few extra characters. Cardcaptor Sakura belongs to CLAMP.

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Sorry for the wait. Blame my mom for making me look for nonexistent books.

**A/N:** I was half-asleep when I typed it up, so it might get confusing at times. Anyways, please enjoy!

**Edit:**I made some changes while my mom was out! Yay!

(sorry, I'm a bit hyper right now :P)

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Sakura hummed to herself as she prepared the spaghetti. Though the tune was cheery and light, she had turned her thoughts to the events of that day, which weren't exactly a bundle of rainbows and sunshine.

_Why did Syaoran-kun yell at me like that? All I did was say he looked a lot like the prince…hmm…maybe he was just shocked. It's not every day that you see someone who shares your name _and_ looks like he could be your twin, and the prince, of all people. Oh God, here comes Sayu._

Koyumi glared at her oldest daughter; after all, it was well past eleven, and the curfew was ten for all of them. The spaghetti Sakura had been making was for Sayu, since there had been no leftovers from dinner and her stepmother had complained that Sayu wouldn't get anything to eat. She had then ordered Sakura to cook; grudgingly, Sakura had complied, otherwise she wouldn't hear the end of Koyumi's nagging, high-pitched voice.

"Sorry, Mom. I was out on a date with Kotarou…

_-boyfriend number forty-seven. How does Sayu manage to set up dates for all her boyfriends every week without getting caught and dumped by one of them? _Sakura wondered in amazement, despite herself.

"…I lost track of the time. We weren't doing anything-!" Sayu added hastily as her mother raised an eyebrow.

_Yeah right. _Sakura reverted back to thoughts of the day's events. _I wonder what kind of ball they're going to hold. Of course, I don't have to worry about a dress, thanks to Tomoyo, but there might be a chance that stepmother won't let me go… _An alarming thought suddenly occurred to Sakura.

"Sayu?"

"Hmm? Oh yeah, the spaghetti. Put in a lot of sauce, but I don't want any cheese, I'm trying not to-"

"Not your food, you idiot! I am not your servant-!"

"Yes, you are."

"No, I'm not! Anyway… are you going to the ball?"

"The ball? Of course I'm going, it's the biggest event of the year-"

"Thanks. That's all I need to know."

Sayu was quietly stunned by her stepsister's sincere tone and even more confused by what she had said.

As Sakura drained the spaghetti, her mood became grim. _I need to something about that Sayu._

* * *

The next day, Sakura woke up earlier than normal. _I can't be late today- not with the mission I'm about to do. _She hurried downstairs and prepared a quick breakfast, scribbled a note and taped it to the refrigerator, and dashed out the door, fumbling with the laces of her shoes. She was halfway to the school before she remembered the blue bag that she had left in her room.

_What am I thinking?? This whole getting-up-early thing is no use if I don't have the bag!_ Without warning, she turned around and promptly crashed into a brown-eyed someone who had been walking behind her.

"Sakura?"

"Syaoran-kun?"

* * *

Syaoran followed Sakura closely with an air of interest. _It's unusual for Sakura to be rushing, since she normally sleeps in and barely arrives on time. And there's still nearly two hours left until school starts, so she can't be on day duty. _Then: _What am I thinking? I'm supposed to be apologizing for the other day, not trying to figure out what she's up to- _

Sakura suddenly turned around, surprising Syaoran. Before he could get out of the way, she crashed into him.

"What the-? Sakura?"

"Syaoran-kun?"

Syaoran promptly turned bright red as he realized the proximity of Sakura's face to his own. "I-I-Sakura, I'm really sorry-"

"Syaoran-kun, I'm really sorry for bumping into you like that, but I need to go back for something." Sakura hastily got up and dashed in the exact opposite direction of the school.

Syaoran scratched his head. "What was that all about?" He stood there, motionless until he came back to himself five minutes later and resumed walking to school. _Oh well, I'll find out soon anyway._

Syaoran arrived at school and put away his things, then sat by a gnarled, old tree next to the gate and waited for Sakura to arrive. Fifteen long minutes later, Sakura arrived breathless, wailing:

"Oh, look at the time now! I'll never be able to deliver all these before people start coming-!"

"Deliver what?" Syaoran inquired, his heart thumping wildly as he looked at her. He had originally planned to give her an apology for being so stupid, but she didn't really seem bothered by what happened yesterday, so he might as well satisfy his curiosity.

"Syaoran-kun!" Syaoran thought he had never seen a sweeter smile, but then, Sakura's smile was seen on a regular basis, and he couldn't decide between this one or the one when she had discovered a family of rabbits under a bench in the courtyard, the one when she had been celebrating the victory of the school soccer team in the championship game, or-

_Get a grip, Syaoran._ _You aren't supposed to be deciding which of Sakura's smiles is sweeter- you're trying to find out what Sakura's up to-_

"You don't know how relieved I am to see you. Could you help me with these?" She reached a hand into the bag and withdrew a stack of envelopes, then continued, "I need to distribute these, but I have to do it before people get here, otherwise someone will become suspicious of me. Here," she handed him a chart with certain lockers pointed out, with the name next to the locker number. "That should help you when you don't know who the person is, or if you don't know the locker number. It's a good thing I brought two copies." She left to put away her things and to start on her own stack of envelopes, leaving Syaoran to frown in confusion at the letters.

_What are these letters for? And what's with the secrecy? Hey…the names on the envelopes…they're all guys! What for? But then… Sakura's single…don't tell me-!_

He shook his head. True, Sakura was single, and she might just be looking for a boyfriend, but she was already popular with most of the guys, and she wouldn't have sent _this_ many letters to ask people out, when guys already sought her out on their own. That possibility ruled out, Syaoran felt it was safe to pass these out. As he slipped letters under the slots of the lockers, though, his curiosity still longed for information, so he called out:

"Sakura?"

"What is it?" Sakura's voice sounded far away, and Syaoran guessed that she was on the other side of the locker room, probably doing the far row.

"What are these letters for?"

"Not now, Syaoran-kun. People could overhear. I'll tell you later, when we're finished. In the courtyard?"

"In the courtyard." Syaoran felt satisfied. At least he would know once the job was done.

* * *

Sakura had only one letter left when she spotted Sayu walking towards the lockers with a bunch of giggling friends.

"Oh no!" She glanced frantically at the chart, trying to figure out where the last letter went.

"What's wrong?" Syaoran appeared from the other side of the row, looking concerned.

"It's Sayu!"

"What does she have to do with it?"

"Everything! Quick, help me!"

"Kotosuke Matsuo?" Syaoran scanned the chart, his brown eyes darting about the paper. "He should be somewhere around here, on the bottom row."

Sakura groaned inwardly. Sayu's locker was in this row too!

"What number?"

"Uh…467."

"Where is it?"

"Should be somewhere to our left."

"Found it!" Sakura squatted down and hurriedly jammed the envelope through the slot in the bottom. "Done!"

"May I ask what you're doing with my boyfriend's locker?"

Sakura gulped and looked up. Sayu was standing in front of her, hand on hips. _Shi- don't swear, Sakura. Think. THINK!_

"Didn't you tell Sakura to give Kotosuke-san the note?" Syaoran intervened, sparing Sakura from mumbling out an answer.

"Huh? Oh…maybe I did…what note was it again?"

Sayu looked up, but Sakura and Syaoran had already escaped to the safety of the courtyard.

"Thank the heavens for Sayu's stupidity," Sakura sighed as they settled themselves down beside the enormous lake that rested in the middle of the school grounds. "And thank _you_ for getting me out of that fix. A suspicious Sayu will mess up my plans for her."

"You _did _say that you'd tell me what you were up to, right?" Syaoran looked at Sakura with big puppy eyes, making Sakura laugh.

"All right, I'll tell you," and she recounted the previous night's events to him in great detail. About halfway between her story, Syaoran began to laugh uncontrollably, causing Sakura to frown in confusion.

"I didn't know the bit about the diary was that funny."

Syaoran shook his head as he continued to laugh so hard Sakura was sure his sides would split.

"N-no, no, it's just-" here he paused, gasping for breath, "I never knew Sayu was so scared of rats!"

"Didn't Tomoyo-chan or I tell you guys before?"

"No. But think of the possibilities! We- that is to say, Yanagizawa-san, Miharu-san, Yamazaki, Hiiragizawa and I- we could have played so many pranks on her! We could have slipped a fake rat into her locker or something-"

"But you wouldn't be able to pull it off, would you?" A smile tugged at Sakura's lips. "However, Tomoyo-chan and I could have done it easily, since we are unfortunately related to Sayu. We could have even put it in her bag- oh! The others are here!" She made to move towards their friends, and felt a hand enclose her own.

"Just stay for a bit." Syaoran's eyes were pleading, though a faint smile curved his lips. Sakura trembled, and she felt a blush color her face. _Why am I so nervous?_

"Besides, they'll be here soon anyway." Syaoran let go of Sakura's hand, and a puzzling disappointment engulfed her._ Get a grip on yourself. It's not like…like you like him, anyway. Right?_

"Sakura-chan!"

"Oh. Hey, everyone!"

* * *

Meanwhile, fifty one very confused guys stood looking at envelopes that had mysteriously appeared in their lockers. One was about to open his when Sayu bounded up to him and threw her arms about his neck, kissing him deeply on the lips. The latter drew very disgusted looks from the surrounding people. One of the people watching threw Sayu a look imbued with a mixture of loathing, betrayal, and hurt. When Sayu took no notice and continued with her very long kiss, he clenched his hand, crumpling the note he had found in his locker.

Sakura took little notice of her friends' conversation as she watched the locker room. She only averted her gaze when Tomoyo tapped her on the shoulder.

"You were planning something last night, weren't you?"

"Uh-huh."

"Care to explain the details to me?"

"Later. At home."

As if on cue, a bang enumerated from the locker room, and they all turned around. A swearing third year emerged from the cloud of dust, yelling at anyone who got in the way. Sakura smiled. _One down, fifty to go._

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My mom's pissed at me now, so I'm grounded from the computer. I'll try to sneak on later for the fourth chapter. Review please!


	4. A little family reunion

**Cinderella Sakura**

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**Disclaimer:** Cardcaptor Sakura belongs to CLAMP. I own (unfortunately) Koyumi, Sayu, her (soon to be ex-)boyfriends, and a host of other characters, not to mention the plot .

**A/N:**Finally! I never thought I was going to make it. Sorry I couldn't come on for a while, the computer is unfortunately in my mom's room. :(

Anyways, please enjoy!

* * *

_After watching Sayu take a bite of spaghetti and begin to howl in pain (Sakura had mixed some hot peppers into the sauce) Sakura went into the room she shared with Tomoyo and began-_

"-typing away on the computer like there was no tomorrow. I saw that. But what were you typing, Sakura-chan?"

"I'll show you." Sakura went to the computer that rested in the corner of their room and turned it on. Moments later, she logged on and opened a document almost thirty-five pages long. Tomoyo whistled to herself as she read the first paragraph:

_To Yamamoto Ishida-kun:_

_You might have felt that your girlfriend, Kinomoto Sayu, has been concealing something from you. I strongly urge you to go to locker row 4 fifteen minutes before school to view something. After seeing that event, decide whether or not Sayu-san is really good enough for you._

_Sincerely,_

_A friend_

"Yamamoto Ishida-kun... he's that third year who was stomping around and yelling at everyone today, wasn't he?"

"One of them."

Tomoyo scanned the following paragraphs, and, without much surprise, found similar letters, each addressed to one of Sayu's boyfriends.

"So you spent the _whole night_ typing this up?"

"Not really. I just copied and pasted it fifty times without the name, place, and time. That stuff was added later."

"Well, this is quite a prank. My sister's going to be in tears when you're done with her."

"Actually, it wasn't really a prank-"

"Then what? What other reason would you have to mess up Sayu's social life to the same degree of her twisted mind?"

"Well, it's actually more of a precaution."

"A precaution?" Tomoyo was surprised and confused.

"Uh-huh. How do I put this...you know that Sayu's going to the ball, right?"

"Yeah. She even had the nerve to ask me to make her dress!" Tomoyo scowled at the thought. "As if I'd make clothes for anybody but you, Sakura-chan..."

Tomoyo had that glint in her eye as she looked at Sakura. Knowing all too well that flashy(and downright embarrasing) costume designs were spinning through Tomoyo's head, Sakura stuttered:

"Um...right...anyway-"

"Well, well, what do we have here? The kaijuu finally decides to actually act like a human-"

"Touya-nii-chan, I am not a monster!" Sakura glared at her older cousin, then turned to Tomoyo, her eyes pleading for help.

"Good evening, Touya-san." Tomoyo seemed to take no notice of Sakura's silent begging.

"Hey, no need to be so formal. After all, we're...uh...what's another name for your cousin's stepsister?"

"Cousin will be fine." Tomoyo smiled sweetly.

"Oh, okay. And Sakura, call that Hiiragizawa guy over, won't you? I swear Kaho's making me deaf, the way she's going on about him. Do it, before she makes the rest of the family insane, too." Touya scowled, hating to have to resort to Sakura to shut her up.

Sakura smiled at the mention of Touya's sister, who had become infatuated with Eriol during the last family reunion when he had dropped by for a visit. "Sure."

Touya grunted in response, then shut (or rather, slammed) the door, leaving a rather ominous crack on the door frame.

"Touya-san seems to have a huge sister complex, doesn't he?" Tomoyo carelessly observed.

"Yeah, he does...what's wrong, Tomoyo-chan?" Sakura added, noticing her stepsister's rather cold tone of voice.

"Huh? Oh... it-it's nothing, really."

"Come on, you can tell me," Sakura chided. "Is it about Touya-nii-chan... or Eriol-kun?"

"I said it's nothing!" Tomoyo was a little taken aback at Sakura's surprisingly sharp perception. She hadn't been that obvious...had she?

"If you say so," Sakura replied, a little disappointed by Tomoyo's unwillingness to share her thoughts. "But if you change your mind, tell me about it, 'kay?"

"Like I said, it's nothing," Tomoyo persisted. "Anyway, we should go down, they'll be expecting us. By the way," Tomoyo's voice dropped to a whisper, "remember to tell me the rest of the story. I still want to hear more."

Sakura nodded, then carefully opened the door, sighing to herself. Stepmother was sure to add fixing the door frame to the list of tomorrow's chores.

* * *

It was noisy in the large living room downstairs. Sakura and Tomoyo's several cousins were sprawled in front of the TV, avidly playing a racing video game that one of them had brought with them. Sakura ignored their shouts and cheers, instead making a beeline for the phone.

"May I use the phone, please?" she inquired her gossiping aunts.

"Of course, my dear." One of them scooted out of the way, allowing Sakura to pick up the handset behind her.

"Hey, Tomoyo-chan. What's Eriol-kun's number again? I forgot."

"It's 03-6828-52DF3," replied Kaho confidently, popping out from behind the counter with an armful of plates.

"Hooeee!!" Sakura shrieked in surprise, causing several heads to turn their way and Kaho to nearly drop the fine china plates she was carrying.

"Whoa there, Sakura-chan! But did you say you were going to call Eriol-kun?" Kaho's eyes glinted.

"Uh...yeah..."

"In that case, give me that." Kaho pulled the phone from Sakura's limp hand.

* * *

Eriol was studying with Syaoran when the phone suddenly rang.

"Don't answer that yet. I still don't understand this problem!" Syaoran pointed out a particularly difficult set of kanji, frustrated. Japanese had never been his strong point.

"This call may be important."

"Fine. But make it quick."

Eriol picked up the phone. The first thing he heard was confusion and chaos. Then a bubbly, cheerful voice sang out:

"Eriol-kun! It _is _you, isn't it?"

Eriol struggled to recover from the shock. Then:

"_KAHO?!_"

"You actually remembered my name!" After that, there was a rustling noise, a muffled "Hey!", and a breathless voice:

"Eriol-kun? I'm so sorry, did I interrupt anything?"

"Sakura-san! What's going on?"

"This is a bit sudden, I know, but could you please come over for a couple of hours?"

"Wha-? Why do you-"

A muffled shout: "Hiiragizawa Eriol, get over here in fifteen minutes, or I swear I will never forgive you!"

Sakura groaned. "That's why. Make sure you hurry; she's driving us all insane!"

Another yell: "I am _NOT_!"

"Okay, but I'll have to bring Syaoran-kun too-"

"Of course! The more the merrier! Bye! Love ya!"

A last shriek: "Kinomoto Sakura, you had better not have meant those last two words!"

Then silence.

Eriol staggered back to the table. "You'd better pack your stuff. We're going to Sakura-san's house."

Syaoran was stunned. "But why-"

"Just do it, or Kaho will have my head."

"Okay...who's Kaho?"

Eriol sighed. What kind of trouble was Sakura dumping on him? "A cousin of Sakura-san's."

"That doesn't sound too bad."

"Believe me, being with Kaho for five minutes is absolute _hell._"

Syaoran halted at these last few words. _Even if it is Sakura's house..._ "Uh, maybe I shouldn't go then."

"_NO!_" Eriol practically broke down at Syaoran's words. "You _HAVE_ to come! Don't you understand?!"

Syaoran was confused. "Understand what?"

Eriol was almost too miserable to continue. "She _likes _me. So much that I can't even relax for a few seconds before she pounces on me! Help me!"

"How?"

"If she sees me coming in with a friend-"

"Aren't Sakura and Daidouji-san your friends?" Syaoran challenged.

"Yes, of course, but they're also her relatives. She might be unwillling to hang around me if it means I will get irritated, that is, if you come."

"The way you talk about her, she might not care."

"But if it risks one of my very important friends-"

"You get along more with Yamazaki than me."

"But she won't have to know, will she?"

"I still don't get it."

"What I mean to say, my dear friend-"

"You've never called me that before." Syaoran was still confused.

"That is part of the plan."

"What, to get the two of us close buddies?"

"No, to get Kaho off my back." Eriol couldn't help but smirk as Syaoran continued to look befuddled.

"Listen. When we come in the house, we will pretend that we are best friends, completely inseparable. Possibly childhood friends."

"Um...okay."

"Kaho will, of course, come over and attempt to win me over again. We will ignore her completely and pretend to be immersed in a very interesting subject, probably one only boys can possibly understand. This will keep Kaho from trying to get in the conversation. If she tries to butt in anyway, pretend to be extremely annoyed."

"Right."

"We will continue with the best friends appearance. When I raise my hand when she comes over again, take it as a signal."

"For what?"

"Pretend to throw a fit. Yell at me, saying that our friendship is over."

"Huh?"

"Tell me that if it weren't for that annoying Kaho, it would be easier to continue being friends."

"I won't do that."

Eriol was, to tell the truth, absolutely shocked at what Syaoran had just said.

"What are you talking about?"

"That, _my dear friend_," Eriol winced at the sudden venom in his voice, "would likely make Sakura think that I like Kaho, which, as you very well know, would never, never happen in a million years. It's hard enough to try to gather up enough courage to ask Sakura out _without her trying to set me up with someone else!_" Syaoran's voice steadily rose until he was practically shouting.

Eriol was speechless. He certainly hadn't thought of that.

Syaoran was shaking with unforeseeable anger. "Or maybe," he continued in a deadly whisper, "you want Sakura for yourself, and just want me out of the way."

"What-wait, Syaoran-kun!"

Syaoran's voice was still cold. "What?"

Eriol's mind was racing. _I have to mend my friendship with Syaoran-kun. If he agrees to do the plan, his anger will mess it up, even though I could probably make it seem like we were fighting and I was trying to fix the problem. Or he will simply refuse to do the plan, and I'll never get rid of Kaho, at least not for a very long time. Either way, I'll lose my friendship with Syaoran-kun. He can be very valuable in times- that leaves me with only one option._

Eriol cleared his throat. "I'm sorry for making you so uneasy. Believe me, I have no intention of hooking up with Sakura-san; in fact, I was in on several of Daidouji-san's schemes to get you two together. If I really wanted Sakura-san, don't you think I would have tried to mess things up for you?"

Syaoran was still suspicious. "Those plans never worked, you know."

Eriol dismissed the accusation with a wave of his hand. "Through no fault of my own, or yours, for that matter; the blame lies with Sakura-san for simply being too dense. If you want, I will even think of a plan to help you confess to her, without any watching, or any interruptions."

Syaoran did not seem entirely convinced, though his face relaxed. "Apart from you and Daidouji-san, you mean."

"Possibly." Eriol chuckled, though his laugh faltered when he looked at the clock.

"Oh no!"

"We'd better hurry," Syaoran agreed, dumping his things unceremoniously into his bag. "But I won't follow the plan, unless..."

Eriol groaned. They had already spent half an hour talking. "What?"

"You know, maybe..." -Syaoran's face lit up-"some chocolate?"

"Do you even know how expensive Belgian chocolate is-?" Eriol clapped a hand over his mouth. _Stupid me...why didn't I think of it? There's still some plain old milk chocolate in the pantry, and not nearly as costly; besides, that Belgian chocolate was set aside for special occasions-_

Syaoran grinned, then spoke up before Eriol could offer this alternative. "Deal."

* * *

**_At the castle..._**

Meanwhile, the prince was rummaging through his vast selection of custom-made clothes. _I must look the part if Sakura is to be at the ball...there are several arrangements to be made...stop that_, he firmly told himself. _Sakura may not even be at the ball...but it never hurts to be prepared, I suppose._ He gazed longingly at a handsome black tuxedo, which looked, of course, as if it had not seen the light for months, let alone even worn.

_You're going to be very disappointed when she doesn't come_, he told himself, shaking his head.

* * *

Phew! That was a lot more than usual... hope it makes up for those days I spent trying to sneak on!

I'm already working on a new story, the first chapter should be up in a couple of days. Bye, and don't forget to review!


	5. I'M NOT A LESBIAN!

**Cinderella Sakura**

* * *

**Disclaimer:** Nothing but the plot.

**A/N:**I still can't believe I actually get to come on the computer now! This time I'm at my dad's office cuz my computer at home broke down, so it might be a while before I come on again. Sorry!

Sorry if I confused you in the last chapter, I got kinda carried away with the whole Kaho thing and most of it didn't even make sense to me too (sweatdrops). Anyway, this chapter might unconfuse you (is that a word?), so please bear with me!

Presenting chapter five!

* * *

Syaoran and Eriol ran as fast as they could: Sakura's house was pretty far away.

At one of their rest stops, Eriol voiced his opinion on something that was bugging him.

"Why did you get so mad when I said you would have to say it was Kaho's fault? Didn't I say _precisely_ to also call her annoying?"

He added to himself: _And you said that you still__ like Sakura-san...so _that_ wouldn't be possible, unless you were lying..._

Syaoran turned beet red: to tell the truth, he didn't even know what had got him all worked up. The whole Sakura setting him up with Kaho thing was just something he had made up to cover his anger. _Well, now that the idea occured to me, _he thought drily, _that might not be so far off if Daidouji-san takes my words the wrong way. She just loves to play matchmaking, no matter what the consequences might be. Especially since she can handle most of them herself._

Another, more timid voice in his head protested:

_But she set me up with her...even thought up an uncountable number of schemes to get her to like me back...she seems to really want us to be together..._

_She's like that with every potential couple, _the first voice replied, almost automatically. _She only wants the best for everyone...especially when she doesn't even get her part of satisfaction in life-_

_Huh? Where did that come from?_

_You know, about her liking-_

_Hiiragizawa, _the second voice finished. _But that...just seems so ironic._

"Ironic? What are you talking about?" Eriol inquired. Syaoran realized he had said the last part aloud.

The second voice continued as if Eriol had not butted in. _It's the same with me and Sakura. Sakura's totally unaware of my feelings, just like you are completely clueless about Daidouji-san...say it already. I'm sick of Hiiragizawa go-  
_

_Be quiet._

"Umm..." Syaoran couldn't think of what to say, especially after the second voice had cut in. How would Eriol react if he told him that he had just been conversing with voices in his head?

_Maybe think you were insane? _offered one of the voices. Syaoran didn't care which one it was.

_Shut up. I'm trying to think here, _Syaoran mentally snapped.

"Syaoran-kun? I'm waiting for my answer here," Eriol irritably replied to Syaoran's momentary silence.

More thinking.

_Just tell him the truth, _the first voice soothed. _Otherwise you'll really go insane._

_Fine, _he replied. _But I'm not telling anything about you. Hiiragizawa might decide to throw me into an asylum instead of taking me to Sakura's house._

_What? _the second voice shrieked. _I don't want to be a secret anymore! No more secrets! Any more of this and I swear I'll-_

The first voice also seemed annoyed. _I think he's the insane part of you. Get rid of him._

_Agreed._

Syaoran tossed the second voice, still nagging, into a bottomless pit and immediately felt relieved.

_Good. Now start talking. Hiiragizawa's been waiting for five minutes already._

_Shut up, or you follow._

_Shutting up._

Syaoran took a deep breath and turned to face Eriol. Almost immediately he looked away in mirth, for fear the second voice would return.

Eriol had been frowning in frustration for the last three minutes. With each second, his scowl deepened; right now, his face was so deformed that Syaoran felt himself crack. As he began to double up in laughter at the face Eriol was making, a familiar voice in his head sang:

_I'm back!!_

* * *

While the first voice was attempting to push the second voice back into his dark prison, everyone in the Kinomoto residence were fearing for their lives. A couple of younger kids had even ran for the safety of Sayu's bedroom (fortunately for them, Sayu had ditched the reunion and was now on a date, still determined to have at least one guy head over heels in love with her).

Kaho had been pacing the ground furiously, muttering now and then:

"Where is he?! I'll never, never forgi-"

"Um...Kaho?"

"_What?!_" Kaho snarled venomously at Sakura, who pointed a trembling finger towards the window.

"They're here."

Kaho's face brightened up; you couldn't even tell that she had been shaking with fury only seconds ago.

A moment later, the door opened.

"Eriol!" Kaho squealed, throwing her arms around the person stepping in and burying her face close to hers.

"Ugh, get off me! I know you're glad to see me," Kaho stepped back with a horrified expression on her face, "but don't go around hugging people for no reason!"

Kaho stepped back again, then turned suddenly ran for the bathroom.

"Aiiiiieeeee!! I need to wash myself! Where do you put the soap, Sakura- AARRRGGGHHHH!! I can't believe I hugged that (beep)!"

Sayu shrugged out of her coat, then looked back at Kaho, confused. "What's her hurry?"

Everyone ignored her, instead choosing to stare at her date, who was swiftly backing away from her with a disgusted look.

"Sayu, sweetie," he was saying with an air of wanting to get out of the vicinity as soon as possible,"I'm so sorry, but I can't date a les-"

_"No!"_ Sayu threw herself at him, causing him to jump and run out the door. After a brief fall (accompanied by a lot of swearing), Sayu sprang to her feet, then followed her now ex-boyfriend, screaming, "It's not like that, Raito! You're the only one-"

"Yeah right!" Raito yelled back. "I knew there was something wrong with you! All that time- you were dating all those guys to cover up your real feelings towards girls, weren't you-"

"I'm saying that isn't _true_!"

"I'm looking forward to telling the whole school that you're a lesbian-"

_"__No!! Don't!!"_

"You deceived me, it's the least I should do-"

"I'M NOT A LESBIAN!!"

Back at the house, everyone had fallen quiet, listening to the faint conversation. Tomoyo and Sakura's giggles broke the silence.

The whole place erupted into peals of laughter- the younger kids failed to understand the reason why Sayu's predicament was so funny.

"Papa, what's a lesbian?"

"That, my dear friend, is not something you should ask." Eriol stepped into the packed living room, shocking everyone.

"Did we miss anything?" Syaoran added, noticing several people rubbing away at their watering eyes.

* * *

What did you think? Did you like it? Did you? Did you?

And yes, Sayu is still going to pop up now and then, how else will I be able to torture her?

Please don't forget to review!


	6. Near confession

**Cinderella Sakura**

**Disclaimer:** I wish that Cardcaptor Sakura was my manga, but it's not. I only have the plot. (hey, that rhymes! :D )

**A/N:** My dad fixed my computer for me (turns out it was something minor-whew!)! Anyways, enjoy!

* * *

Sayu continued to chase Raito, huffing and puffing and wishing she were more athletic like Sakura (then banished the thought, disgusted that she would even think of being like that ugly tomboy of a stepsister), calling, "Wait, please! Raito!"

"Get the hell away from me, you lesbian!!"

"I'm not a lesbian!!" Sayu fought to block out the sudden whispers that had erupted in their wake.

"Isn't that Kinomoto Sayu?"

"Yeah, she is. I never thought she would be, well, you know-"

"Uh-huh. Wait till the whole school hears!"

"It's funny, though. She was dating about fifty _guys_ before-"

"Maybe she's a bisexual," her friend said in a low voice, thoughtful.

"That guy's probably one of her ex's," said one, gazing at the two people running, very far away- well, Raito was about a mile away; Sayu was still twenty yards in front of the whispering group.

"HEEELLLLPPP!" Raito yelled, as Sayu continued to run (actually, _attempting_ to run) after him.

* * *

"So that's what happened?" Eriol asked, as Syaoran, for the second time that day, was rolling around on the floor, laughing his head off.

"Kaho act-actually hugged that - hahaha!"

Eriol chuckled. "When you said 'they're here', did you actually mean for Kaho to hug Sayu instead of me?"

Sakura shook her head. "I did see you guys, but you were still about a hundred feet away, and I didn't know that Sayu was right at the door..."

"I'm not complaining. Hopefully Kaho will be too embarrassed to glomp onto me today-"

"So we don't have to do the plan?" Syaoran asked, reluctant to part with the chocolates stashed away in his bag.

"What plan?" Sakura inquired, curious.

"Oh...uh..." Syaoran stammered as his face turned a bright red. "Well...I was...um...talking about..._your_ plan!"

"Huh?" said Eriol, taken by surprise. "What plan is this?"

Syaoran shot a don't-talk-or-you'll-mess-this-up look at Eriol, then continued, "uh... if Sayu has been framed as a les-les-" he choked back his laughter- "well, you know, then we wouldn't have to make her boyfriends dump her, they'd do it on their own-"

"So _you_ guys were responsible for Sayu's dramatic little performance today?" Eriol asked, eyebrows raised. "I thought it was funny that her boyfriends all dumped her at the same time-"

"They could have figured out on their own and decided on a day to publicly humiliate Sayu for the embarrassment she caused them," Sakura shot back defensively.

"Very clever comeback, Sakura-san, but that is very unlikely, since they each thought she had been only dating one other guy at the time of the breakup, which means that they did _not_ come together to choose a day to dump her. Obviously they somehow saw Sayu getting all lovey-dovey with another guy- and personally, I can't see how Sayu managed to hold each of them for about three years without getting caught-"

"I can-" Syaoran started to say, silenced by a quick look from Sakura.

"Well, all right, I'll explain, but we have to wait for Tomoyo-".

"What does Daidouji-san have to do with this?"

"I promised to tell her, and I want to get it over with before Sayu comes back and finds out it was me-" Sakura started.

"ERIOL!!"

Kaho jumped onto Eriol, startling everyone in the vicinity. Before Eriol blacked out, he thought, _There goes my plan..._

"Huh? Eriol? What's wrong?"

Everyone, especially the teenage guys (Syaoran did his best to avoid looking), stared at Kaho.

"Kaho!! Why'd you take off like that?" Tomoyo demanded as she stepped into view, her voice shaking with anger.

"But I heard Eriol's voice-"

"And you forgot to put on your clothes!" Tomoyo shouted, brandishing a pink shirt and a pair of jeans at her.

"Oh..." Kaho turned a bright red, the same shade as the towel wrapped around her. "Give me those...I'll go and put them on..."

As Kaho got up, a faint rustling emanated from the towel as it slipped off. The guys' eyes widened until they were hastily covered by the hands of any nearby females.

Meanwhile, Eriol had returned to consciousness. He then looked up and fainted again.

"Can I open my eyes now?" Syaoran asked.

"Better not," Sakura replied.

* * *

"Young lady, what do you think you were doing?" fumed a police officer.

"But-but-" Sayu stammered.

"She tried to rape me!" Raito pointed an accusing finger at Sayu.

_When Sayu finally caught up with Raito, who was been panting with the effort of having run three miles nonstop, she tried all sorts of things to try to convince Raito that she wasn't a lesbian. Since talking hadn't worked, she tried to kiss him (_what lesbian would kiss a guy?_ she reasoned), but it only succeeded in a bloody nose when Raito punched her. Then she started taking off Raito's and her own clothes._

_He screamed, "RAPIST!! RAPIST!!" Unfortunately for Sayu, a policeman was on his patrols at the time, and caught her fumbling with the zipper of Raito's pants. _

(A/N: I told you Sayu had a twisted mind. Wait, did I?)

Back to the present...

"You don't need to remind me again," the policeman drawled. "What's your name?"

"Ki-Kinomoto Sayu."

"How old are you? You seem like a minor to me."

"Fi-fifteen, sir."

"Well, since you aren't eighteen yet, we'll just have to see what your parents have to say."

Sayu brightened at these words, but hid her expression when the policeman glared at her.

"If your parents are really that lenient-"

"I only have a mother."

"Well, if your mother is that lenient, then maybe we should deal with you yourself." The policeman cracked his knuckles.

"Don't do anything too rash, Seiyuu-nii-san," Raito cautioned.

"She's not going to tell anyone, though. Oh," he added as Sayu began backing away furiously, "I'm not going to beat you to death. Merely...knock you out so you won't hurt anyone, including yourself."

"You could use the tranquilizer darts." Raito motioned to a bulge in his brother's pocket.

"I still feel that this girl should get more than that for trying to do harm to my little bro."

Raito grimaced. "I'm not a baby, and plus she isn't even that strong."

"You couldn't even push her off you."

"That's because she weighs about a ton."

Sayu looked on in confusion. The topic had gone from punishment for attemped rape to a common sibling quarrel. It simply didn't make any sense.

Overworked from trying to piece together the situation, Sayu's tiny brain ordered itself to shut down. She promptly collasped.

Raito and his brother stared at her limp form, bemused.

"Hey, do you know what happened?"

"Dunno, nii-san. I can't think of anything that would make her black out like that."

"D'you think she's faking it?"

Raito poked Sayu with his toe. She did not respond.

"Nope."

His brother felt for a pulse. It was there.

"Not dead, either."

"Damn- I mean, that's good. This is confusing me," Raito added in complaint.

"Don't look at me. I don't get it anymore than you do."

"Think we can ditch her?"

Seiyuu sighed. "Unfortunately, no." He slung Sayu's limp body over his shoulder. "The chief would have my badge."

Raito groaned. Sometimes he wished his brother wasn't a police officer.

"Anyway, I need to call her mom. What's her number?"

"Why don't we go to her house instead?" Raito offered, eager to see the expression on Sayu's mother's face at the sight of a policeman dragging her dear daughter into the house.

* * *

Sakura led Syaoran into her bedroom. Tomoyo was still attempting to wake Eriol downstairs.

"Um..." Sakura wracked her brains for something, but nothing came to mind.

"Why don't you tell me what happened?" Syaoran asked. "It must be pretty bad if Eriol is unconscious and Kaho has locked herself into a closet."

"But...weren't you there?"

"And I was closing my eyes," Syaoran reminded her.

Sakura frowned in confusion. "Why'd you do that? Not that I'm saying you had to stare at Kaho like the other guys, but isn't it a guy's nature to stare at a girl when all they're wearing is a towel?"

"Well...there's this person I like, and I didn't want to have any..._impure_ thoughts before confessing to her."

Sakura studied Syaoran's bright red face. _He must really like her, whoever she is,_ she thought as she struggled to control a wave of jealousy. _I feel so...envious of her._

"Who is this person?"

Syaoran turned a deeper shade of crimson as he forced himself to look back at Sakura.

"Well...i-it's y-"

"YEOWWW!"

Sakura and Syaoran jumped up, startled. After exchanging a brief glance, they dashed for the door, eager to discover the owner of the voice.

They didn't have to search carefully to discover the source of the commotion. Lying in the middle of the living room was Eriol, sopping wet and glaring at Tomoyo, who was holding a bucket in her hands.

"That was _completely _unnecessary, Daidouji-san!"

"I had no choice!" Tomoyo countered, defensive. "I tried everything, shaking you, slapping you-"

"I know that." Eriol winced as he rubbed his stinging cheeks.

"-so I had no other option!"

"The good old bucket of ice water," Syaoran murmured, chuckling softly.

"No one asked for your opinion!" Tomoyo and Eriol snapped.

"Guys, guys, calm down!" Sakura was eager to stop the heated conversation before it turned into a fight. "Weren't we going to my room?"

The enraged expressions on Tomoyo and Eriol's faces gave way to curiosity.

"Oh yeah!"

"I want every single detail, Sakura-san!"

A few minutes later, they had all settled themselves in Sakura and Tomoyo's room, Sakura and Syaoran perched on Sakura's bed, Eriol and Tomoyo on the floor.

"Shoot away."

_After Sakura got off the computer, she tiptoed to Sayu's room, listening at the door to see if Sayu was in there._

_"What you doing outside my bedroom?" Sayu demanded, hands on hips._

_Sakura thought quickly._

_"Listening for rats," she replied._

_The anger on Sayu's face gave way to horror. "R-rats?" she squeaked._

_"I heard squeaking- a lot of it." Sakura gestured to the door. "They could be all over the place-"_

_"What?!" There was a panicky edge to Sayu's voice. "Why can't you just lay out some traps?"_

_Sakura put on a confused expression, hoping her mirth would not show. "Do you _want _a whole bunch of rat heads rolling around the floor?"_

_"N-no!"_

_"Then go to the living room or something. If you stand around squealing like that, I might accidentally let one out-"_

_"MOMMMMMYYYY!"Sayu screamed, racing for the living room. _

_Sakura quickly let herself in. It was only a matter of time before Koyumi decided to check her daughter's bedroom herself. Sakura needed to act quickly._

_She fished Sayu's diary out of her desk drawer and began flipping through the pages, but stopped when she heard footsteps approaching._

_No time for this, she thought as she jammed the diary under her jacket, hoping it wouldn't poke out._

_"Are you sure?"_

_"Sakura _said _there were rats in my bedroom, and who would know better than a rat herself?"_

_Sakura fought the retort that was rising to her lips and instead began to make a show of searching for rats._

_"What are you doing, Sakura?" Koyumi demanded, looking very much like her daughter as she placed her hands on her hips._

_"Looking for rats. Didn't Sayu tell you?"_

_"Yes, but it seemed pretty suspicious."_

_"Well, as there are no rats to be seen, I think I'll get out of here. The stink's getting to me." Sakura swiftly rose and swept from the room._

_"What?! My room does not smell!"_

Stupid heart, slow down already!

_Once in the safety of her own room, Sakura turned the pages of the pink diary slowly, her eyes taking in every word._

_At the end of the diary, there was a chart, conveniently listing all the boyfriends Sayu had, along with the place and times she could meet each one of them without arousing suspicion. Sakura recognized the neat, flowing script of a classmate of hers, Nonohara Misaki._

I wonder why Misaki-chan would help Sayu, _Sakura thought. _She's got a strong sense of justice, and one of Sayu's boyfriends, Kobayashi-kun if I remember correctly, was going out with her until Sayu seduced him. Maybe Sayu blackmailed her. Well then, all the more reason to stop her, because Misaki-chan doesn't deserve this.

_Sakura inserted the names of Sayu's boyfriends, along with a place and time, into the letters._

"Maybe we should get a new printer," Tomoyo said thoughtfully.

Sakura was startled. "Why?"

"'Cause that one," she pointed to the old black-and-white printer resting next to the monitor," was so noisy and _slow_, it kept me up all night."

Sakura grimaced. "Sorry."

"What are you saying sorry for? You got Sayu exposed for the slut she is, and indirectly got her framed as a lesbian." Tomoyo giggled at the memory.

"OH NO!! MY BABY!!" screamed a voice. Sakura guessed it was Koyumi's.

"Should we go down?"

"You're still not finished, Sakura-san. And besides, we'll find out later anyway."

"What if stepmother decides to shut everyone up about it?"

"Good point. Let's go down."

* * *

Thanks to everyone so far for your support! Please review!

And chainedheart999 (sorry for the mistake earlier) , to answer your questions, the voices in the last chapter were just Syaoran arguing with himself, but his imagination let them get out of hand :P

And no, Syaoran and Eriol do not have a telepathy communication (I'm confused about how you got that), but maybe I could use that in my next story...


	7. Before the ball

**Cinderella Sakura**

**Disclaimer:** You know the drill.

Hi!...yeah, I'm running out of things to say. Anyways, read and review!

And chainedheart999, again, sorry for the misspelling of your penname! I changed it back so people won't, as you put it, think you're a follower of the devil. Please accept these cookies as my apologies! (hands out cookies) Wait, are you allergic to eggs?

Oh yeah, and before I forget, Kaho is the same age as Sakura and the gang, it's just that she acts really childish. :P

* * *

The story of Sayu's attempted rape had spread throughout the entire school by the end of two weeks. Several students(mostly girls) crowded around a flattered Raito for his first-hand account, with the exception of Sakura's group, who were eagerly listening again to Sakura and Tomoyo's side of the story- unfortunately, Syaoran and Eriol had to leave at Syaoran's adoptive mother's frantic call, and so did not participate in the retelling. They had managed, however, to glimpse Koyumi's horrified expression, which looked as if she had just been forced to smell a combination of rotten eggs, skunk spray, and a host of other nasty things. It looked that way every day, though, so it wasn't much.

Sakura paused in her retelling to listen to two gossiping girls repeating Raito's version of the story.

"I couldn't believe he actually managed to fight his way through those guys!"

"Yeah, I know! Aren't the Kazuya the toughest gang in the entire region?"

"Uh-huh. You know...he's actually pretty cute. Wonder if he's still single..."

"Better not take him away from me," her friend warned teasingly. They both succumbed to a fit of giggles.

"It seems that Yuuki-kun has twisted the story to suit his own needs," Tomoyo observed.

"Hey, don't leave off in the middle like that!" Naoko and Chiharu pressed Sakura, dying for more.

"But you've heard this a million times!" Sakura protested hoarsely; her voice had gone sore from the countless times she'd repeated her version of events.

"Aw, come on!"

"Why don't I continue?" Tomoyo volunteered, sparing Sakura from hurting her throat in an attempt to protest.

As Tomoyo continued from where Sakura left off, the said person laid against the trunk of a nearby tree, utterly exhausted.

"Tired?" Syaoran inquired.

Sakura jerked out of her stupor long enough to give him a weak smile, then drifted off again, leaning against Syaoran, which startled him.

"H-hey! Sakura-" _Calm down, Syaoran. Calm down-_

Sakura opened her eyes slightly. _Oh...so she's not asleep. _

"Do you mind if I rest against you for a little while?"

"S-sure. Take as much time as you want." _Oh my GOD, what am I saying?!_

"Thanks," Sakura murmured sleepily, eyes closed. Syaoran did his best to control his erratic, wildly beating heart and the heat that was creeping up his face.

They sat quietly for a while, watching Naoko and Chiharu's expressions as they listened intently to Tomoyo's story. Then Sakura chose to break the silence.

"Hey...Syaoran-kun..."

"What?"

"You never told me...the name of the person you like..."

"Huh?!" Syaoran turned a brighter red. "Well-"

"Oh!" Sakura exclaimed, noticing Syaoran's discomfort- and taking it the wrong way. "I'm sorry- to be so nosy when it isn't even any of my business-"

_But it is your business!_ Syaoran wanted to yell, but he was wary of the trio sitting only a couple of yards away- Eriol and Yamazaki, spinning a lie for Rika to listen to. There was a chance that they wouldn't hear, but Syaoran wanted to confess without anyone overhearing, so he kept his mouth shut.

"I was right, wasn't I?" Sakura asked worriedly when Syaoran refused to say anything. "I'm sorry."

"I-it's okay." Syaoran smiled, though the action strained his face.

"Yeah...well, I'm gonna join Rika-chan...later, Syaoran-kun..." Sakura got up and stumbled over to the small group next to them.

Syaoran felt an immense frustration at not being able to convey his feelings. He seethed at himself for a while before a pale hand tapped on his shoulder.

"Wha- Daidouji-san?" Once again, Syaoran was confused at why Tomoyo had decided to keep her deceased father's surname when her mother had remarried. "What is it?"

"I need to ask you a favor." She shot a quick glance at the group next to them, spread out in an irregular circle, checking to see if they had overheard.

"Is it about Hiiragizawa? Mmph."

"Be quiet!" Tomoyo hissed, keeping her hand over his mouth as she glanced at the group again. Satisfied that they did not overhear, she added, "No, it isn't. We need to go somewhere more private. I don't want Sakura-chan to know about this."

"Mmph. Mm-mmph." Syaoran meant to say "Oh. Alright," but Tomoyo's hand prevented him from forming coherent words.

"Sorry." Tomoyo released Syaoran, and he fell to the ground, gasping for air. Tomoyo rolled her eyes.

"I didn't suffocate you, so don't exaggerate, okay?"

"Sorry. Couldn't help it," Syaoran replied, grinning.

"Honestly. Boys," Tomoyo muttered, cutting through the grass towards a secluded area.

"So, what's this favor you're going on about?"

"Do you know that Mom has told Sakura-chan that she can't come with us to the ball?"

"Seriously?" Syaoran's eyes glinted, but he cut off his enthusiasm at the cold glare Tomoyo gave him.

"It's not even fair," Tomoyo complained, as if Syaoran had not interrupted. "The main reason she banned her was because Sayu's reputation is messed up, and Mom has decided that it's Sakura-chan's fault-"

"But wasn't that the purpose, to ruin Sayu's reputation so that the prince wouldn't consider her for his wife?" Syaoran shuddered at the thought of Sayu reigning over the kingdom as queen, changing all the rules to suit her own twisted needs.

"My point is," Tomoyo cut in angrily, "is that Sakura-chan did not play much of a part in Sayu's downfall, and she is being punished for what she did, when it is that harebrained Sayu that should be taking the punishment! Do you want Sakura-chan to miss out on the biggest event of the century?"

"No," Syaoran reluctantly admitted, though he didn't want to think about the possibility of the prince- _fake prince_, he corrected himself mentally- taking Sakura as his fiancee. "So what are you doing about it? I thought your mom said that Sakura couldn't go with you."

"Ah," and here Tomoyo's eyes sparkled mischieviously, "that's the point. Mother has expressively forbidden Sakura-chan to go with _us_, in other words, her family. Therefore, she will not go with us, she will go with someone else."

"And who exactly is that someone?"

"Isn't it so obvious?" Tomoyo was exasperated at the confused look on Syaoran's face. "It's you."

"_WHAT?!_"

"Don't worry, all the preparations have been made. Ohohohohoho!" Tomoyo couldn't suppress her amusement at Syaoran's shocked expression.

* * *

_The next day..._

"I feel so envious of you," Sakura complained as Tomoyo made some minor adjustments to the dress that Sakura was wearing. "This must be the biggest party ever, and I'm not going!"

"Hold still, Sakura-chan...done!" Tomoyo stepped back to admire her work.

"Why can't you do all the minor adjustments on yourself, anyway? It's your dress."

"Hmm...It looks good on you, Sakura-chan, but I don't think it'll fit me. Pink's not my color, anyway." Tomoyo went to the vast selection of custom-made outfits(created by herself, of course) lying on her bed. With a pleased exclamation, she held up a deep purple gown.

"I rather think this will work better."

"What was the point of all this, then?" Sakura gestured to the ornate dress she had been forced into an hour ago.

"You can keep that dress, Sakura-chan. In fact, if I were you, I would wear it for the rest of the evening. You may tear the fabric trying to get out." Tomoyo hoped the hint was subtle enough that Koyumi and Sayu wouldn't figure out her plan.

"Uh...okay?"

"Look, Sakura-chan, just wear the dress. Besides, you won't be alone. Someone's going to come over soon and keep you company."

_On the way to the palace,_ Tomoyo silently added.

"Hooeee! I'll be so embarrassed!" Sakura struggled to get the dress off her, startling Tomoyo.

"Don't do that, Sakura-chan! Besides, you look lovely, why should you be embarassed?"

"Because I know that I'm not really pretty," Sakura sniffed, tears leaking out from her large emerald eyes.

"Look, the only way you will be embarassed is if your eyes are all puffy and bloodshot for no reason. It makes you look ugly."

"Thanks for the compliment," Sakura muttered.

"Tomoyo! Where are you? We need to get going!" Koyumi's nasal, raspy voice called out.

"Coming!" Tomoyo called back as she did up her hair with astounding speed. "Bye, Sakura-chan! See you later!"

_I hope so,_ she thought. _Syaoran doesn't really like the plan that much. I hope he doesn't drop out, for Sakura-chan's sake._

"Bye," Sakura said lifelessly.

There was a slam, then a hum as the elegant, sleek white car Koyumi had specially rented for the occasion came to life. Sakura listened as it made its way down the driveway.

Then silence.

And more silence.

"..."

Sakura glanced at the clock. Fifteen minutes had passed.

More silence.

"..."

Sakura looked out the window, but none of the promised company had arrived. Twenty minutes had elapsed by now.

"..."

Sakura was just about to crack, when there was a squeal, a muffled curse, and a knock on the door.

"Hello?" Sakura panted, having run all the way down in haste.

A man in a very ridiculously tattered suit stood nervously on the doorstep. "Uh, I'm here to sell vacuum cleaner bags for the-"

Sakura felt her hope diminish. "I'm sorry, but I don't need vacuum cleaner bags. We've got a three years' supply." Sakura motioned to the closet at the far end of the room.

"Oh..." The man looked disappointed and embarassed. "Well then, if you'll excuse me..."

The man got into his dented, rusty car and backed out of the driveway. Sakura waited until he was out of sight before closing the door.

"..."

Another ten minutes passed before Sakura heard a siren go off. She jumped up from her position on the armrest of the sofa.

A bang sounded to Sakura's right. It seemed like someone was trying to get in. She froze.

There was the sound of a struggle, a tinkling of chains, and a muffled swearword.

Then a voice called out:

"Anyone there?"

Sakura hesitated, then opened the door. A policeman stood on her doorstep (Sakura recognized him as Yuuki Raito's older brother), while his partner restrained an ugly, pudgy-faced man as he fought the handcuffs placed on his wrists.

"Kinomoto-san!" Seiyuu seemed surprised to see her.

"Wh-what's going on?"

Seiyuu sighed. "Right now, it's a great time for robbers to empty out all the houses, since the residents are at the ball. Several police officers are staying to make sure that Tomoeda steers clear of mayhem while our people are out at the palace."

"Uh...okay."

"Give us a call if someone suspicious comes by, alright?"

"Right. Bye."

"Bye."

Sakura was on the edge of insanity now. First Tomoyo had promised that someone would come and keep her company, but they never came; then that vacuum cleaner bag seller, and just now, someone had attempted a robbery while she was in the house. It was too much for someone to handle.

_I'm going to go insane, _she thought to herself.

Just then, the doorbell rang. _Not again._

Sakura yanked open the door with a little more force than was necessary. "Yes?"

"Uh...hi," muttered Syaoran, blushing. "You- er- look nice..." His voice trailed off as he looked at her.

"Syaoran-kun?"

* * *


	8. The ball

**Cinderella Sakura**

**Disclaimer:** This is getting old, you know what I'll say anyway.

Apologies for the late update! My dad took away the router for my computer (you know, that thing that lets you have internet) so I couldn't come on

* * *

Sakura felt her jaw drop at the sight of Syaoran standing on her doorstep. It didn't help that he was dressed in a tuxedo as well.

"Syaoran-kun? What are you doing here?"

Syaoran looked surprised. "Didn't Daidouji-san tell you?"

"So _you're_ the company that Tomoyo-chan was talking about," Sakura said, remembering Tomoyo's words. "Why don't you step in? It looks pretty cold out there."

Syaoran just looked confused. "I'm here to pick you up."

"Pick me up? For what?"

"The ball."

"What?"

"I said I'm here to take you to the ball."

"But- stepmother said-"

Syaoran grinned. "-that you couldn't attend the ball _with them_. That's obviously different from going to the ball with a friend."

"But how are we getting there?"

Syaoran gestured towards the driveway. "If you look over there, you might just find a limo waiting to take you to the palace."

Sakura was stunned at the sight of a magnificent black limousine, almost twenty feet long. "No," she whispered. "I-I just can't- to have you spend that much money on me-"

"It was at Daidouji-san's expense, and besides, it's been spent already, you can't let it go to waste like that. Come on." Syaoran opened the door with a flourish, gesturing for her to come in.

"Do you kids need anything?" the driver asked.

"No," Syaoran automatically replied. The driver nodded and closed the panel to give Sakura and Syaoran some privacy.

Most of the trip went by in silence. After a while, Syaoran decided it was time to strike up a conversation.

"So…uh…" Whatever Syaoran had been about to say was lost as Sakura turned to look at him.

_She looks so beautiful…her hair, her dress…Daidouji-san really outdid herself…_

"What is it?"

"Oh…" Syaoran jerked himself out of his thoughts. "Er-well…why are you going to the ball?" The last words came out in a rush.

"Huh?"

"You know, why'd you want to go to the ball?"

"Is there a reason for this conversation?" Sakura asked, confused.

"Well, I thought, since the ball is being held to find a fiancé for the prince…" Syaoran's voice trailed away.

Sakura giggled. "You mean you thought I was going to step up as a candidate for the prince's future wife?"

Syaoran was taken aback. "Er- well, yeah, kinda-"

Sakura's giggling intensified.

"What's so funny?" Syaoran demanded, inwardly struggling to control his embarrassment.

"It's just that- I thought for a moment that you were actually jealous of your look-alike- it just seemed so ironic!" Sakura was having a hard time breathing now.

"But I _was_ jealous." Sakura stopped laughing at these words and stared at Syaoran.

"Y-you were? But why?"

Syaoran took a deep breath and steeled himself. "Because…I like-"

"Oh! We're here!" Sakura exclaimed, pointing at the window behind Syaoran. He gritted his teeth in frustration.

"Come on! Aren't you getting down?"

Syaoran forced a smile. "Sure."

* * *

The prince was peeved. Sure, a whole host of gorgeous girls, as his tutor called them (_freak, _Ryuu thought disgustedly), had turned up, but most definitely did not have a strand of the rich auburn hair he had been hoping to see, or that precise shade of emerald-green eyes he could call up with amazing clarity.

_I told you she wouldn't come, _his rational side said.

_Oh, shut up, _his rather irritable side growled.

Suddenly, a pair of violently purple eyes, eyelashes heavy with mascara, appeared right in front of Ryuu's face. He took a hasty step backwards.

A girl, possibly fifteen, was standing in front of him. Behind her, another girl grimaced, leading Ryuu to two possible conclusions:

1. The girl behind was simply jealous of this beauty (though he deduced that, judging from her face, she wasn't such a sight once you saw through the heavy layer of makeup she was wearing) and wanted her to go so she could have a shot.

2. The clown face (which Ryuu applied to every girl whose face was heavily powdered) was acquainted with the frowning girl and was apparently trouble.

Ryuu decided that it was the latter; the girl in behind had a wary look, as if she knew the clown face was trouble.

"Hello, Li Syaoran-sama," purred the clown face. She batted her eyelashes.

"Uh- everyone calls me Ryuu-"

"Of course, Ryuu-sama," the clown face giggled in an absurdly high voice. "I heard about that, but Syaoran just seems like such a cute name…'little wolf'…of course, Ryuu isn't too shabby either…"

The girl in behind groaned, and Ryuu suddenly realized that the clown face was attempting to win him over. She must have interpreted his attempts to figure out her real face to absolute fascination. _In a way_, he thought, _she's right- I don't think I ever saw so much powder on one face at once- oh wait_- a group of girls with completely white faces in the corner of the ballroom caught his attention- _I stand corrected._

"Ryuu-sama," the clown face repeated, annoyed.

"Oh- uh…what is it?"

"Never mind," the clown face muttered, obviously hurt. "See you later…"

_I hope not, _Ryuu thought fervently. He was distracted as the next girl, the one who had been scowling, stepped up to him with a worried expression.

"My sister hasn't been bothering you, has she?"

"Uh…no, not at all." Ryuu now saw the resemblance between the two, though this girl had a much kinder look in her amethyst eyes

"I'm really sorry about her. Sayu can be a real pain sometimes."

"Are you trying to win me over by putting down your sister?" Ryuu asked, confused.

The girl laughed. "No, but I'm sure it would be something _she_ wouldn't hesitate to do." She gestured in the direction of her sister.

"Why?"

The girl looked grim. "Once she sets her eyes on a guy, she'll stop at nothing to get them drooling over her. It's a good thing Sakura-chan and I-"

"Sakura?"

The girl smiled. "Yes, my stepsister. Unfortunately, she couldn't come with us-"

"Oh." _Was that the reason I couldn't find her?_

"-but she ought to be here soon. Come to think of it, she's pretty late- I'd better go and check to see if she's had any troubles-"

"Wait! What's your name?" Ryuu grabbed her arm before she could get away.

The girl looked confused. "Tomoyo. Daidouji Tomoyo. Why?"

"Nothing, nothing." Ryuu was disappointed. This Sakura she was talking about was obviously some other one.

_Stupid Ryuu, there are probably _hundreds_ of Sakuras all over the country. Why should this one be her?_

"Excuse me, Syaoran-sama?"

Ryuu, startled out of his reverie, forced a smile at the girl who had stepped up in place of Tomoyo.

"Ryuu, if you don't mind."

* * *

Sakura made her way through the crowded ballroom, looking for Tomoyo. She had managed to cling to Syaoran the whole time, fearing that they would separate and leave her alone in the midst of strangers.

"Syaoran-kun! Do you see her?"

"What?" Syaoran yelled as loud as he could, but a wave of noise drowned his voice out.

"I said, do you see her?"

"No need. I'm right here."

Sakura's heart plummeted.

"S-Sayu?!" Syaoran exclaimed.

"In the flesh. I'm glad you remembered my-" Sayu frowned. "My bad. I thought for a second that you were actually the prince," Syaoran gritted his teeth as Sayu laughed manically at the thought, "but _that _would never happen, would i- oh." Sayu's face broke out into a mischievous smile as she noticed a strand of auburn hair sticking out from behind Syaoran's side.

"Ah, who is that person you're hiding behind you?"

"Huh? What are you-?"

"Hmm," Sayu's smile became so wide that her heavy makeup split along the creases in her face, giving her face a cracked appearance, "did you sneak my dear stepsister into the palace, hoping to get her a chance with my new fiancée?"

"You're not…_engaged_ to the prince_,_ are you?!" Syaoran was horrified at the thought.

"No, but I know he can't resist my charms. Who would?"

Syaoran rolled his eyes. "You're looking at one of the several exceptions."

"Oh really? Who else, then?" Sayu challenged

Syaoran put on a fake act of puzzlement. "Oh, I don't know, Yamazaki, Hiiragizawa …"

"I'm not interested in younger men," Sayu scoffed.

"Riight. And what does that make of those six first years you were dating?"

Sayu's face went well past bright red and settled on a brilliant purple, a slightly murkier color than her eyes. "Wha- how did you-"

"See my point?"

Sayu forced out a harsh laugh. "They were still going out with me."

Sakura decided to speak up. "Because they didn't know the kind of person you really were, and you seduced them-well, in the case of Hamaya, you blackmailed him first- and"

"BE QUIET, YOU BITCH!" Sayu lunged herself at Sakura. Two bodies quickly launched themselves in front of Sakura, shielding her from Sayu's fury.

"The bitch, I believe, is you," a voice said quietly, while Syaoran turned to Sakura to make sure she had not suffered any damage.

"P-prince!" Sayu gasped, breathless. Then his words penetrated her, and she stood up shakily.

"Fine!" she yelled, her eyes watering up with angry tears. Several people turned to witness the spectacle.

Sayu ignored the new audience and continued, "If I can't have you, no one will! _You hear me?! _No one!" She spat out the last two words, and shaking with fury, stormed out of the ballroom, muttering something about going to the bathroom to fix her makeup.

"Man, that girl is scary," someone murmured.

"She didn't seem like a girl to me" his friend commented. "I swear I saw horns sticking out of her head."

Ryuu mopped his sweating face with a handkerchief and turned to face Sakura, who had managed to get up with some help from Syaoran.

"Sakura! I was wondering when you'd show up!" he beamed.

"Uh…have we met before?" Sakura asked, startled that the prince would address _her_, of all people, on a first-name basis.

Ryuu's face fell into comical dismay. "You don't remember me? After all the time we spent playing together as children?"

Syaoran growled. "Before you get all friendly with my Sakura, we need to have a little chat."

Ryuu faltered, then continued on dismissively. "We can do it here."

Syaoran's mouth twitched. "If you want to get exposed for the fraud you are, that is."

Sakura's head was spinning. "What chat? Fraud?" _And what's with the 'my Sakura'? I have to admit, it sounds nice…no! What am I thinking?_

Ryuu smiled at her, though it was obviously forced. "Nothing you need to know," he whispered hastily in an attempt to soothe her.

Syaoran's mouth twitched again. "You know as well as I do that she deserves an explanation, just as well as the rest of these people," he gestured towards the building crowd that was trying to make sense of the heating argument. "In fact, you should have admitted it that day eight years ago-"

"I get the point!" Ryuu hissed, taken aback at the venom in Syaoran's voice. "Shall we say my room, then?"

Syaoran was put out that they wouldn't have much of an audience. "Only if Sakura comes, too."

"But-"

"Or we could put up microphones and project our conversation for the whole country to hear." Syaoran smiled.

"Fine, fine," Ryuu muttered dismissively. "This way."

Sakura was still confused. _What are they talking about? It seems like Syaoran-kun and the prince aren't on the friendliest of terms…and how do they know each other? And...how does the prince know _me_?

* * *

_

**Nathan:** Things are going to be heating up soon, huh? I wonder who Sakura will choose-

**sakuraxsyaoran4ever:** Don't give things away! Besides, why are you reading this, anyway? You don't even _like _Cardcaptor Sakura.

**Nathan:** (smirking) Just trying to ruin things for you, as always.

**sakuraxsyaoran4ever:** Jerk! Bastard! Son of the-

**Nathan:** Whoa, whoa, whoa. Easy with the curses. You read too much manga.

**sakuraxsyaoran4ever:** Do not! (puts Nathan out of misery with gigantic mallet) I've always wanted to do that.

Disregarding the idiot who likes to make fun of me...please review! I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as possible!

**Edit**: I have decided to start working on a new story, so the ninth chapter will be temporarily suspended. Sorry!


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